Inevitable, like death
by CliosLibrarian
Summary: AU of Post-Avengers world, mixed with a touch of XMen, post-Last Stand. Rated M, because I tend to go there. Loki & Jean Grey. I own nothing but my imagination.
1. Chapter 1

He sat up in his bunk suddenly, awoken by light footfalls in the hallway. He dearly wished to slip back into slumber, but he had carelessly left a reading light on. As soon as it hit his vision, he was completely awake. He looked at the clock and then pulled on some pants and a tshirt with a sigh. 4:12 am...he would never be able to fall back to sleep now, he might as well investigate. The Shield facility was spare, and without decoration, the very definition of "institutional". It could be a hospital, a military barracks, or a prison. He supposed it was a bit of all those things. His own room was practically empty except for some clothes and some books.

The woman was standing at the stove, her back to him when he slid into the kitchen quietly. Her dark hair reached down to her waist in waves, contrasting sharply with the simple white tank top she wore, paired with black yoga pants. He saw no evidence of an undergarment and his face formed into a slight leer. He had never seen her hair down before. She always had it pulled back into intricate braids and ponytails. He moved further into the room without announcing his presence, his annoyance at being woken up fading quickly.

She seemed to be stirring a dark liquid in a small pot, while humming bits and pieces of a tune lazily, as low as a whisper. A small amount of light coming from the overhead of the stove lit up that area of the room, giving it a surreal glow.

"It's rude to sneak up on people, my prince...especially at 4am", she said quietly, without turning around. Her attention on her task.

He winced slightly at her sardonic use of his title, but he didn't bother to comment on it. "Its rude to wake people up at 4am too. In any case, I wasn't entirely sure that you weren't an intruder...and I don't sneak." He said in a false tone of boredom.

She turned around then, giving him the full measure of her smile and crossing her arms in front of her, her thick hair settling around her shoulders. This action only served to accentuate the swell of her breasts beneath the tank top that she wore. He pretended not to notice, keeping his eyes on her face. Her green eyes dared him to come closer, suddenly alight with her laughter.

"Liar, liar, pants on fire...all you do is sneak around this place. Sorry for the early start...I couldn't sleep." "Nightmares?" He asked with heightened interest, his thoughts on his own recent dreams...violent and draining. He had awoken the last several days feeling like he had run a marathon in his sleep.

"That too...but I am a lifelong insomniac. I only need about 5 hours of sleep to function and I went to bed too early last night...I must look a mess..."

He didn't bother to contradict her. To do so would reveal too much of his real regard for her and his growing attraction. Her dark hair, and her green eyes, her unconventional beauty. She could pass for almost any earth ethnicity, with a pleasing mix of round and sharp angles in her heart shaped face. Her full lips when closed, formed a perfect bow. She was strong and lean, if not a bit short for his taste, but somehow she managed to maintain curves on top of all that muscle. She had several tattoos, only a few of which were visible normally. He had just spotted the top of what looked like a large one on her back that he had never seen before. It was entirely unfair that she was also one of the most intelligent midgardians he had met in his most recent stay on earth. He had learned through hard experience not to underestimate her brain nor her brawn.

He realized he had been quiet for too long when she looked at him quizzically. He made a show of inhaling the sweet smell wafting from the stove. She seemed to remember that she was cooking something and turned around abruptly to continue stirring.

"What are you making?", he asked, edging closer to her.  
"Spiked Hot chocolate...want to try?"  
"Spiked?"  
"With booze..."  
"Ah...yes, I would like...a taste", he said silkily, and he was suddenly at her right side. She tilted her head and eyed him with some suspicion, recognizing what she liked to call his "mischief-mode" and dipped her spoon into the mixture. Cupping her free hand underneath the spoon to catch potential spills she turned in one fluid motion and brought the spoon close to his mouth while blowing on the top of the spoon slowly and gently, much to his surprise. He sucked in a breath and held it unconsciously.

"I wouldn't want to burn that "silver tongue" of yours..." She said simply, when she saw his expression, her own face a mask of innocence, but her eyes were a bit too wide.

He recovered quickly, leaning in and opening his mouth with a smirk, leading with his tongue as he closed his mouth on the spoon. He tugged at it to take the sip. He hummed happily at the sensation of warmth and sweetness, then licked his lips as his eyes flicked down toward her mouth."Delicious."

Oh yeah, she thought...full-on mischief mode. "I think I have enough to share...we can just add more rum!" She said brightly, ignoring his heated gaze and turned away from him to pour half of the mixture into a waiting cup, leaving room at the top. She then added some rum to the cup, finishing with a dollop of cream. She handed it to him with some flourish and a stilted curtsy, and he accepted the cup with a sneer that didn't hold much heat. "Thank you, my lady..." He said, his tone mirroring hers from earlier. She chuckled as she moved to the cabinet to grab herself a mug, and repeated her steps. Her throat made a happy, low sound as her first sip of boozy hot chocolate slid down.

"Oh yum, that is the business..."  
"Yes, quite..."

They both leaned back, bracing themselves against the kitchen island, sipping their drinks in companionable silence. The domestic scene of easy friendship a far cry from their rocky beginning. She let her mind wander to that memory.


	2. Chapter 2- Playing Nice with Others

He had been sent back to earth by the Allfather after several days of the Asgardian version of therapy and reconditioning. Thor had made the Avengers aware that while Loki was far from an innocent, he had also been an unwilling supplicant to the power of the Tesseract, leading to the events that culminated in the Battle of New York. That he had been held prisoner, had been tortured, and then had been set on his course by powers much darker than him. Forces that waited in the distant dark.

Some still had their doubts, and many held grudges, but most were willing to put those feelings aside in order to work on building a positive alliance with Asgard. Steve and Bruce being the first to suggest that perhaps the "devil you know" on your side was better than the alternative - being willfully blind to the vast number of things that go bump in the night that they were now becoming startlingly aware of. It had been a wake up call, and a time for a change in strategy. The term Homeland Security now carried more far reaching and serious implications for Shield and the Avengers. It was a time of uneasy compromise, on both sides.

When Thor explained that he had brought Loki back to earth with the intention of bringing him into the fold, to make reparations for his part in the devastation, Shield reluctantly agreed. The caveat being that Thor would be his chaperone on earth. The Allfather, as usual, had been vague about what exactly Loki needed to do to fulfill his debt, or for how long, and Loki had taken the decision hard. He hated Midgard, and everything it represented; weakness, failure, betrayal...and to have to be followed around by Thor was adding insult to injury. Bad enough that he would have to behave himself and make nice with the Midgardians that he had been so close to ruling, but to have his brother there watching him like a prison guard was a bitter pill indeed.

He resolved himself to do what needed to be done, quickly, and to keep himself to himself as much as was possible during his tenure with Shield. Though he quickly decided that "behaving himself" was a subjective notion. He felt no need to be polite or pleasant, nor particularly proactive. He had agreed to serve as an ad hoc advisor to Shield on the subject of "extraterrestrials" and he would repair as much damage as he could, within the constraints that Shield placed on him keeping a low profile.

As Tony Stark had pointed out with his usual lack of grace, "almost every household in America has a television, reindeer games...". The point being that he would be recognizable on the street. Any assistance he provided would have to be stealthy and under the radar, which fit in nicely with his preference to come in contact with as few midgardians as possible during his stay. He spoke with only a few necessary people, and ignored the rest as best he could, as if acknowledging them was beneath his dignity.

He had gritted his teeth when Thor made him promise to Nick Fury, in front of the full assemblage of the Avengers that while on earth he wouldn't harm anyone, except to defend himself, and he wouldn't kill anyone, for any reason. He was humiliated to be cowed in such a way. His "help" had turned into a daily negotiation that the Director quickly found tiresome, but Loki wasn't going to make anything easy for them. It was lucky for them that he was sincere in his desire to gain back the Allfather's trust, with the secret and darker desire to find away to avenge himself upon the enemy that had stolen his will, using his pain and his past against him, and making him no better than a slave to their plans. He had plans of his own and he was a patient man. The Allfather had muted his powers for the duration, somehow knowing whenever he was using them selfishly. He carried his prison around with him, the boundaries of which were his own bones and skin.

Loki and Thor resided in a temporary Shield tent city while the clean-up commenced along with the rest of the Avengers, and some assorted Shield agents as well as doctors, nurses, and some group called the army corp of engineers. It was in this mobile operating unit, that he met her. He was feeling particularly hostile one day in the mess hall when a man, a youth really, had inadvertently bumped into his shoulder, causing him to spill his drink. In his ill humor, Loki had instinctively reared his hand back to strike the boy, when a small firm hand caught his in a vice-like grip, staying his violence.

The boy, eyes wide, had muttered," ..sorry!" and quickly scooted out of harm's way.

Loki's focus shifted from the boy to the hand, seeking the face of its owner, his own face red with shock and rage. To his dismay, the hand belonged to a small woman, with dark hair and eyes, which held no fear of him.

"That's OK Sean...he knows it was just an accident." She stood stock still, Loki's hand still in hers, staring up at him. "Don't you, Prince Loki?" His eyes narrowed to slits at her pronouncement of his title, and suddenly his hand felt hot in hers. He snatched it away and stalked off to his table, sitting down loudly. He ignored the alarmed stares of the Avengers and of Thor particularly, as he began to eat. He tried to ignore her presence at his back as she spoke with the boy, reassuring him.

"Be a little more careful, OK? We really don't need another intergalactic incident this week" she said to the boy kindly, patting his shoulder. Nervous laughter bubbled up from the nearby tables and it seemed that the meal would continue peacefully after all.

Suddenly, the woman gasped as she was enveloped by strong arms in a fierce embrace. "Jean, I didn't know you were here!?" Bruce said with obvious fondness, lifting her off her feet. She returned the hug enthusiastically, grateful for the distraction, before stepping back to look at her friend. Natasha and Clint raised their heads from their food with sudden interest. Loki felt their tension ratchet up as they shared a look. He slid his gaze sideways to catch the conversation and to get a better look at the person he could not harm, though he dearly wanted to. His hand still felt warm where she had touched him, but he attributed it to adrenaline.

"Hi Banner...how are you feeling today?" She said, her eyes teasing him.  
"Well Doc, I am feeling better now that I know you are here, that's for sure. You joining up?!"  
"Nah, you can keep your boy band...I have my own gig. I am just here to lend a hand."  
"Come sit with us!"  
"Maybe that's not such a great idea right now..." She said, motioning to the back of Loki's head. Thor was already standing, making his way over to them with his hand extended to shake hers. Typical, Loki thought darkly. "Yes, of course you must eat with us Jean!" He motioned to a open space across from Loki that was vacant.

It seemed that everyone at the table knew who she was except Loki, much to his annoyance. He continued to ignore her as she sat down, just out of his line of sight, leaving Bruce to sit directly across from Loki. The two men simply nodded at each other. He then slowly shifted his eyes to her, hoping to avoid detection. To his surprise, she was looking directly at him, when his eyes widened the cheeky bitch smirked at him before returning to her meal.

Their little exchange was not without witnesses. Natasha leaned over to Jean, whispering low in her ear. "Are you sure that's a game you want to play with him?"  
"Am I making you nervous Agent Romanov?"  
"Everything about you makes me nervous. My faith in gadgets is not as strong as yours Doctor." She responded, motioning to a black watch-like band on Jean's wrist. Jean looked at her and then at Clint, and then smiled sadly.  
"Well, it may be no better than a magic feather but it works as long as I believe..." She said, sing-songing the last bit of her speech.

Clint looked at her, his face emotionless, and sighed heavily. "This whole situation is giving me heartburn...one big dysfunctional family", he said waving his hands comically, alluding to all the heavy hitters gathered around their table. His words were light, but his eyes were serious. Jean had already caught the message loud and clear. The duo were telling her to watch her step...there be dragons here. She was already well aware.


	3. Chapter 3

Loki found out later that's she was indeed a doctor, among other things. That she belonged to a "dysfunctional family" of her own, with their own brand of drama. She was a mutant, with some low level psychic abilities...telepathy, precognition, heightened strength and agility. He comforted himself that a normal midgardian female would not have been able to stay his hand. He also noted that she was very good at picking up on the emotions of people around her, making him suspect that she was a bit of an empath as well. She was quiet and watchful, mindful of her status as an outsider.

It was obvious to him that there was something different about her, and how she was treated by Shield, especially by the Black Widow and Hawkeye. He had also encountered some of her fellow mutants, the so-called XMen, each with their own extraordinary adaptions and abilities. But Jean seemed to be set apart from them as well. They treated her with respect, but they weren't as friendly with her as would be expected of a team mate. Nevertheless, she seemed to be in a position of leadership among them, and generally acted as a spokesperson for them in dealing with Director Fury. She was skilled at strategy, and contributed much to the plans that were forming to expand Shield's capabilities beyond the small sphere of the solar system. The first order of business was an early warning system, a combination of technology and mutant abilities that would cast a psychic net to detect hostile intent. She was skilled at handling the politics as well, negotiating with all the invested parties about the different roles each would play. Though she was shy in company, she was not above batting her eyelashes in the board room to meet her goals, especially when "the suits" were around. A fact which had dug under his skin and taken root. Her real agenda was a mystery to him, which also troubled him enough to stay wary of her.

One night as he sat in the make shift lab, conversing with Bruce Banner about the specifications of some new security devices for Stark's new tower, Jean walked in briskly, looking for something. She looked disheveled compared to her usual formal, buttoned up appearance. She breezed in, in a low cut black tshirt and jeans, both of which left little to the imagination. She had pencil clenched in her mouth, her hair falling out of a loose braid and into her face, obviously distracted. She found the file she was looking for and smiled at them without really seeing them, humming softly to herself as she left. Up to that point, Loki had thought that his fascination with her was because of his bruised ego from their first encounter. That he was sizing up an adversary, so to speak. But the raw pulse of lust that surged through him when she walked by him that night, within a hand's reach, without her usual focused and controlled demeanor, nearly took his breath away. He felt a traitorous shudder move through his body and he let out a huff of air. Bruce looked at him sharply, as if he had suddenly caught a new scent on the wind. He face was grim. "I'm not sure that is a good idea, buddy". "I'm sure I don't know what you mean" he said with forced nonchalance. Bruce then told him with all seriousness, "What you don't know about her could fill a book, and it's not my place to tell you." Loki merely shrugged.

His next encounter with her was more direct. Tony had suggested some healthy competition as a diversion, some sport to help people relax after a particularly long day of clean-up. Loki had repaired half a building on his own that day, using mostly magic, and had no interest in joining them in their game of "football". He decided he would much rather watch them beat each other up. He sat on the sidelines, watching the teams line up in their formations, facing each other. He was surprised to see Jean on the field, calling out some sort of command. She backed up suddenly, catching the ball from a low toss from Bruce, and proceeded to propel the ball flying through the air in a spiral formation, just as Natasha came crashing down on her, sending her to the ground. Loki was off his feet before he had formed a conscious thought. "Whoa there reindeer games...it was a clean tackle, a bit late maybe...", Tony said, walking towards him, his hands up to block Loki from advancing further onto the field. "I wish to join this "game"." He ground out, his temper flaring. He knew that he was being irrational, but at that moment he didn't care.

"We'll, that's different...shirts or skins?"  
"What?"

He pointed to the other team, comprised of Natasha, Steve, Clint, Thor and some assorted XMen and Shield agents. "Shirts...", and then he motioned to his own bare torso, and to the rest his team, " ...or skins?" Loki saw that with the exception of Jean, who had stripped down to a tank top, they were all shirtless. "Ah...skins, definitely...", wanting to be on the team opposite his brother, eternally. "Anytime you are ready, my prince..." Jean called loudly, slightly annoyed about the delay. Loki caught her eye, smirking as she watched him tug his shirt over his head, revealing a lean, muscular torso underneath. He balled up the shirt and tossed it to the side, strutting over to join the formation. She couldn't help but smile at his arrogance.

Things got nasty after that. Loki played as dirty as Natasha, and he was picking up the rules as he went along. Mostly so he could break them. But, he didn't allow anyone to get within arm's length of Jean, and the other team had noticed. They were soon throwing everything they had at Loki on each play. It was 21-14, with the skins in the lead. Jean had managed to get them back within 20 yards of the goal line. She was looking for an open receiver, and finding none, pushed past the line and made a run for the goal. The young mutant named Colossus saw her break away and headed straight for her, full speed. Just as she stepped one, then two feet across the goal line, Colossus leaped for her and Loki shot forward, placing himself between them, taking most of the force of the tackle. He wasn't able to keep the boy's forward inertia from throwing them all to the ground...Colossus fell heavily onto Loki, who in turn fell on top of Jean with little grace.

"Get off me!" Loki shouted, tossing the boy off his own body with frustration as he pushed himself up off her form. She was balled up on the ground, eyes closed and his heart jumped into his throat. She slowly opened her eyes...and then winked at him. He was stunned and furious at the same time as she unraveled her limbs to reveal that she had retained possession of the ball. Her voice croaked when she said, "Touchdown...crowd goes wild.", rewarded by laughter from both teams.

He wanted to strangle her but instead he offered her his hand, pulling her up a little more forcefully than necessary out of frustration. His actions pulled her straight into him and she placed her hands on his chest to keep from crashing into his body. Her breath caught when she touched him, sensing his dark thoughts. He eyed her through his lashes, amused by her reaction. "I knew it...you are a bit of a touch telepath too. That's just a preview, my dear..." He said, voice low and full of heat. He expected her to blush, or to back away, but instead she leaned closer, without blinking, her breath a whisper across his shoulder blades, "..you have no idea...", and he felt a sudden surge of warmth worming its way through his skin, starting at her fingertips and moving down his body. The feral grin he gave her then did finally earn him a pretty blush dotting her cheeks.

"Ahem...is it ok if we kick the extra point now, before you two need a room?" Tony had queried, interrupting their little reverie. They had backed away from each other abruptly, and his skin where she had touched him felt warm for hours afterward. Since that day, they had been dancing around each other. Neither of them were willing to push it much further, since it made for a welcome distraction from their daily lives.


	4. Chapter 4

When the clean-up in the city was done, and they closed up the mobile base, Jean had accompanied them to their facility on Long Island, at Director Fury's request. She split her time between the city, the base and Washington D.C. Tony, Bruce, and Steve were now living permanently in Stark tower, on their own floors. Shield had finally read Jane Foster in, and moved her lab to the Long Island facility. So, of course Thor and Loki were now residing there so that Loki could assist in her research. Despite the new alliance with Asgard, Shield still wanted an independent way to travel the cosmos besides hitching a ride with Thor or Loki. Not that Loki was traveling anywhere at the moment. Loki was growing increasingly annoyed by the lack of communication from the Allfather but he trudged along as normal, sensing a test. Thor often tried to reassure him that Odin would be pleased with his progress, which Loki sneered at.

And so the tentative flirtations between Jean and Loki had turned into friendship out of necessity and their close proximity. It was not something they talked about, they just seemed to gravitate towards each other on most days, in their down time. He often accompanied her on her morning run around the perimeter of the base. She had told him, "...if i don't run everyday, I'll be a blimp..." to which he had responded with a skeptical look. She often took the jet down to Washington D.C just for the day, staying overnight only occasionally. On those nights, he would allow Thor to drag him along with Jane and Darcy into town for dinner or for a drink.

Darcy's interest in him was less than subtle, and he steadily ignored her awkward attempts to get his attention. One night, Jean had landed in time to come join them at a midnight movie and the sudden and dramatic change in his demeanor when Jean snuck into the dark theatre and took the seat next to him had finally given Darcy the hint that she needed to back off and give up. His eyes lit up when she had dropped a bag of popcorn in his lap, buttered and salted within an inch of its life, sprinkled throughout with M&M's. "...that was just what I was craving!" he had whispered loudly as he beamed at Jean gratefully. It was obvious to everyone whose company Loki preferred.

Others were not as resigned with their "relationship". Thor was overjoyed of course, thinking that a good woman would set Loki to rights, just as it had helped him do. But, unknown to him, other members of the Avengers were weighing the pros and cons of letting them even be at the same facility. "This is a huge risk we are taking...", Natasha had argued, with Clint at her side, nodding grimly. Nick Fury had overruled them in the end, saying simply, "... it's too late for that". Clint had crossed his arms then, saying "...maybe, but whatever happens now, will be on your head Director".

That had been a few weeks ago. They had settled into the semblance of a normal routine when the nightmares had started, for Jean and for Loki. Nightmares full of fire and blood. Jean had always been a lucid dreamer, but these were different. From the moment she closed her eyes at night until she opened them, it was like a movie in her head. She had noticed that Loki was looking bleary eyed as well and was trying not to think to hard about what that meant. When Loki and Jean finished their hot chocolate she convinced him that they needed to go on an extra long run to work off the chocolate and the booze.

"But what is the point of having a treat if you are just going to punish yourself for it later Jean." Loki grumbled as he struggled to keep up with her pace, sneakers clapping against the gravel of the road that ran just inside the perimeter of the base. Jean stopped suddenly, her face alert, and stared into the woods to the right of them, focusing on something on the other side of the trees.

"What is it?"  
"Loki...be a dear and run back to the barracks..." Her voice held no emotion.  
"What? No. What is the matter?"  
"Loki...", she said, still coldly...her eyes suddenly very grave, staring at a spot in the trees.

"Oh Jean, let him stay...this won't take long"

Loki started as an older, well dressed man appeared out of the woods, striding quietly up to the chain link fence, flanked by two other men. The man to the right of him had an extreme amount of facial hair and seemed very agitated. When Loki looked closer he realized he had sharp teeth and claws as well. The other man was younger and smooth faced, his eyes regarding Loki with distaste. He didn't need to be told that all three were mutants.

"Hello Eric." She said calmly, walking closer to the fence, putting herself between Loki and Magneto.

"No need for posturing dear, I'm just hear to have a chat. How we have missed you, Jean. You know, I didn't even get a postcard when you came "home". I had to find out from strangers. I thought we were better friends than that. Aren't you going to introduce me to your running partner?"

"No."

Loki decided that he was was insulted.  
"I am Loki, of Asgard."  
"I think you mean, of Jotunheim, do you not?" Loki merely glared at him.  
"Oh don't look like that, I meant no harm. This one is sensitive, hmm? A bit on edge...? Well, it's good that they let you out to work off all that anger and disappointment."

The young one smirked and spat out, "Two dogs out for a run..."  
"Pardon?" Loki snarled, stepping closer.  
"Loki, don't." Jean commanded.

Eric pounced, "Oh, heel boy...she's quite right you know, you are out of your depth. You have no idea how much danger you are in...", he added slyly, giving Jean a toothy smile.

Loki sneered at him, "What, because there are three of you?"  
"Oh no, I wasn't talking about us. In fact we came here to offer our friendship, to give you options...you know, should either of you get tired of acting like a couple of house broken pups, being led around by your leashes."  
"The next man that refers to me as a dog..."  
"You misunderstand me. I think you are both magnificent. But the fact remains that you are allowing Shield to train you like dogs. Her leash she wears willingly on her wrist and your leash, well...between your daddy issues and your infatuation with a certain mutant with emerald eyes...they have you well under control, don't they?" If Loki hadn't been looking for it, he wouldn't have seen her wince at what Eric had said.

Loki tried to move forward again, ready to jump over the fence, but Jean reached out and gripped his arm strong enough to leave a bruise. Her action prompted Magneto to take a small step back unconsciously. He looked suddenly uneasy as he tried to decide how far to push the conversation.

"What do you want Eric? Because I've heard your recruiting speech before..."

He looked left and then right, dismissing the two men with a nod to the the woods.

The young man stood staring at Jean for a beat longer, his eyes moving down to her bare legs. "We will see you again real soon", he leered and he turned suddenly and melted into the trees.

"I apologize for that..." Eric said with a shrug, as if to say boys will be boys.  
"John has always been a hot head" Jean remarked with some distaste. Eric waited until they were gone and opened up his hands in a gesture of frustration, his voice gentler.

"You know what I want. I want you to stop pretending to be ordinary. I want to help you be yourself. Be all that you can be."  
"Out of the goodness of your heart I suppose? And what do you want with Loki?"  
"I don't want him...necessarily, but I wouldn't mind having him as a ally. I just want you to know that Shield isn't the only game in town. We are watching, closely."  
"For me to trip up?"  
"No dear one, to help you stand up. Until we meet again, my queen", he said serenely and without sarcasm. And then he backed away from them both, giving Loki a quick nod.

Loki stood there for a moment, until he was sure that they were alone. And then he looked her in the face. She was tense, and angry. She turned and started running again, heading towards the barracks, and as she was moving just out of his earshot he heard her mutter, "Fuck!". Out of pure childishness, he waited until she was all the way to the main building before he followed, stung by the implication that he was being manipulated by Sheild, and perhaps, by Jean.


	5. Chapter 5

When he made his way into the command post, he saw Jean having an animated discussion with the guards in the open doorway.

"I don't care if Fury is currently dancing the tango with the First Lady of the United States, you get him on video conference now!" She said, leaning in and very nearly poking the tall one in the chest.  
"Doc, I'm going to need you to lower you voice..."  
"I was just standing 3 feet away from Magneto and two of his pets on a supposedly secure base, in a supposedly secret location!"  
"I get that, and we are trying to track the Director down. But right now I need you to have a seat...and I would take it as a personal favor if you would stop playing with that band, M'am..."  
She looked down suddenly and saw that she was indeed playing with the band on her left wrist. She had unconsciously hooked her right index finger under it, rubbing it between her finger and thumb. Her demeanor changed immediately, the anger dissipating.  
"Sorry Chuck...didn't realize I was doing it." She said sheepishly, and then she entered the room, sitting down in a rolling chair.

Loki watched with interest as both guards relaxed their stance. It was then that he realized that the shorter guard had been resting his hand on the gun at his hip during their exchange with Jean. He looked straight at Loki as he placed his hand back at his sides, trying to appear more casual that his facial expression reflected. He then closed the door, locking their voices behind the thick glass. Luckily, he could still see her face and lips enough to read what she was saying to Fury once he came online a few seconds later.

"Jean, I hear some old friends of yours decided to join you for some exercise today"  
"Cute. They made a play for Loki..." she said, not in the mood for jokes.  
"I just looked at the tape, Jean...he was clearly making overtures to you"  
"Fury, he knows that his spiel isn't going to work on me...do you really think that little visit was for my benefit? He likes to meddle and confuse. He implied that Shield had ulterior motives for putting me and Loki at the same base. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

She could see him take a deep breath, before deciding that lying to her, even over a distorted video feed, probably wasn't worth it.  
"It was convenient for many reasons."  
"You are really good at that omitting versus lying thing, you know. I guess that's what makes you such a good spy. I want you to read him in."  
"Out of the question."  
She expected nothing else, but groaned in frustration all the same.  
"He is putting himself in Shield's hands, in good faith...it's not fair. At least give him access to the rest of the XMen files...so that he knows which mutants have which abilities."  
"Fine. But even I don't have access to your file. Not that I need it. I've seen you in action."  
"If that's true, then why..."  
"Jean, can you move your chair 45 degrees."  
"Why?"  
"We are being observed. If you weren't so upset you would have noticed already."

Loki knew that his casual act of leaning against the wall in the hallway as though he was simply waiting for Jean to be done had just been seen through. She turned her chair just enough so that her mouth was out of his sight, but not before giving him a sidelong glare that would rival one of the Allfather's looks of disapproval.

"Get used to it..." He sneered and stalked down the hallway and back through the door. He was trembling with rage. Perhaps Jean was not complicit, but Shield was obviously hiding things from him.

Many hours later, after spending the day adjusting security protocols, and checking in with Aurora at the school, Jean finally made it back to her door well after dinner time. She was grateful that she had managed to grab a shower before talking to Tony & Steve. She hadn't noticed until then that she had been wearing running shorts all day long, which would surely have earned her some snide comments. She had changed into her version of pajamas before she started the video chat with them. They were concerned by the news, but more so by the fact that Loki had been granted additional access to sensitive information, and so they were coming up in the morning...just in case Thor needed back-up. She knew that they were also concerned about her, but were refraining from saying anything about it.

She was exhausted. She hesitated at turning the door knob, thinking that perhaps she should seek out Loki before turning in, but she decided she just didn't have enough energy left for that conversation. She entered the room without turning on the light, pulling off her sweatshirt and flipping her flip flops off. She tumbled backwards onto the bed and lay staring at the ceiling when she suddenly felt the weight of a body pressing on her.

Loki was suddenly sprawled atop her body, pinning her arms with his own, and pressing his weight into her legs. She was annoyed more than she was surprised, and attempted to kip her right leg up to his groin, but he beat her to it, forcefully pressing both of his legs down between her legs, and bucking his hips upward in warning. "Is that anyway to treat a friend, Jean"  
"Are you acting like a friend right now? Jumping me, in my room, on my bed...? Really!?"  
"Well, since you have been occupied all day with other things, I thought this would be the most direct way to get your attention." And with that, he sunk further down in his position before rocking his hips into her again, more suggestively this time, and slower. His eyes never leaving hers, watching her expression intently. He licked his lips when he noticed her flushed cheeks, visible even in the moonlight.  
"What do you want?" She said levelly, ratcheting down on her control. Every instinct screaming at her to throw him into the most convenient wall.  
"Can't you tell? Why, I only want what is coming to me...what they have been dangling in front of me for weeks apparently. If I had only known that they brought you here just for me..."  
"This isn't happening."  
"Then why haven't you fought back?"  
"Why are you trying to piss me off Loki?"  
"Because I want to know why everyone is afraid of you Jean. Why those mutants want you on their side so badly. Why people get nervous when you raise your voice. Why Bruce and Tony look at you with sad eyes and why Agent Romanov treats you like you are a deadly snake, always moving quietly and carefully around you."  
"Maybe because she is smarter than you."  
"Why aren't you afraid of me Jean? Like right now, I have you trapped on your own bed, nobody knows I am in here, I have threatened you...perhaps not with my words, but with my actions certainly, and you haven't once thought of calling for a guard. You are angry certainly, but you are talking to me as though I am being a naughty school boy...not a normal reaction for a woman that is being cornered by a monster."  
He removed his right hand from hers and stroked her cheek, his eyes on her lips. He brought his face closer to hers, inhaling the scent of her shampoo and her lotion, clean and buttery smelling like a confection. His lips ghosted over hers without touching, as he flicked his eyes up to meet hers.  
"Your pulse hasn't even raised, Jean...that could crush a man's ego"  
"Maybe I am just not interested."  
"No, you are exerting a great deal of control right now, but why?"  
"Maybe it's so I don't accidentally kill you for being a jackass"  
At that comment, he moved his hand back up to her neck and pressed his hand Into her throat, blocking her airway. Her eyes widened, but she made no real move to stop him. He counted the seconds that he withheld oxygen from her and kept staring at her eyes, daring her. She refused to take the bait, staring back at him unwaveringly. Her discomfort only showing in her adjustment of her body under his.  
"You keep wiggling against me like that and I am bound to take it as an invitation." He said, releasing her neck with a frustrated sigh. She slowly and quietly sucked a full breath of air back into her lungs and exhaled out again.  
He shook his head at her, feeling a bit defeated by her stubbornness.  
"What are you Jean?"  
"I can't tell you."  
"Can't or won't?"  
"Loki, listen to me very carefully. I literally can't tell you." She said, and her eyes flicked upward toward the band on her wrist.  
"Ah, what did he call it, your leash...interesting. What if I took it off, freed you...what then?"  
"Oh Loki, you really don't understand. I put it on myself. I helped create it."  
He was quiet for a few long seconds, and he nodded.  
"You are right. I don't understand. I don't understand anything about you."  
"You asked me what I am. I'm dangerous. That's all you need to know. You should stay away from me."  
"Perhaps." He said casually. And really, his nonchalance should have been her first clue. When he forcefully brought his lips down to meet hers a moment later, she shouldn't have been surprised. She really wanted to ignore him, but her body and heart betrayed her mind. She kissed him back with equal fervor, gasping at the sensation, momentarily dropping her walls. He took the opportunity to slip his tongue into her willing mouth, gliding against her tongue fervently as he moved his free hand behind her neck, kneading the muscles there. She slowly wrapped her legs around his back and in flash of speed and inhuman strength, she had flipped him onto his back and sat up, all without breaking their now hungry kiss. She was now pressed against his groin, almost painfully because of their angle, and his hands shot down to her hips to adjust her weight. She reached both hands down to meet his and moved them forcefully above his head, pinning them to the mattress. He was shocked at her strength. She pressed her arms and her weight onto him, mirroring his earlier actions, snapping him out of his lusty haze, as the pressure building between the grinding of their bodies had switched from friction to pain. She had him pinned, and was continuing to slowly kiss him, only allowing the movement of his mouth against hers. He made a sound of protest against her lips, and tried to remove her hands from his. Her hands held him like a vice. He bucked his hips against hers, but was barely able to nudge her as she continued her slow, almost tender assault of his mouth. The blood in his face, normally cold as ice, was boiling through his veins. Finally, when the breathing through his nose had escalated to a pant, she pulled back with a dreadful smile, ending the kiss.  
"Why would you try to take something from me that I would give you of my own free will?"  
He had no response for her, this little game not having had the desired effect. He gave her a petulant sneer and kept his silence, pushing at her hands in frustration, gasping for breath.

"Get out." She said, emotionless, and at the same time released his hands and moved back off of him to sit at the edge of the bed. If he had stopped to look back at her, he might have caught the sight of the solitary tear that she allowed to slide down her cheek and onto the bed.


	6. Chapter 6

She awoke the next morning feeling grim and determined. She would do her best to freeze him out. It was the safest option. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail and started to pull on her running gear and sneakers. She opened a drawer in her desk, looking for her iPod, wanting the distraction since she knew that she would be alone for her run today.

It turned out that Loki was way ahead of her. As she walked into the cafeteria to grab breakfast, she heard him chuckling in the corner, reacting to a tale that Darcy was recounting animatedly. The girl was blushing with pleasure at the attention she was receiving. Her hands waving in the air, laughing through her words. And though it made her heart clench uncomfortably, she was relieved that she didn't have to make the first move to put distance between herself and Loki. The way he sat listening, giving Darcy all of his attention, knees close enough to touch, made it clear what he wanted to convey to everyone. He shifted his eyes almost imperceptibly towards her as she started to walk past them to the fruit and yogurt bar, so she gave Darcy a genuine smile as the girl caught her eye. Darcy looked unsure for a moment, halting her story...so Jean said, "Good morning!", brightly, before moving past them to grab a plate.

As she was sitting down with a few pieces of fruit and and english muffin, she saw Tony and Steve walk in, dressed for exercise and shook her head slightly and rose from her table to greet them, "I wasn't expecting you until later. Did you guys fly overnight?"

"Well, we heard that your morning runs are the only excitement on this base...with the best floor show" Tony chimed, as he strode up to wrap her into a hug. He then jokingly exaggerated looking behind her, down at her ass and her legs. "And they didn't lie."  
"Har har..." She said, deadpan, but squeezed him into a bear hug anyway. She was relieved to have a distraction. Steve walked up and shook her hand in greeting, but his grip lingered longer than she was expecting. He placed his other hand over hers.

He looked at her pointedly."You OK, kid?"  
"Always..."  
"Come on Cap, lets get some chow."

They both grabbed some food and sat down at her table.  
Tony lead the conversation with, "Hope you don't mind company this morning Jean. I need to stretch my legs a bit, you know, after the flight." He grinned mischievously at her.  
"Yeah, me too." Steve piped in, a sheepish look on his face.  
"Seriously? You guys are here to babysit me? Is Fury mad at you or something?"  
"We came up to help out...this base became a hot target overnight, thanks to Magneto. You just attract all the best villains don't you?" Steve said, blunt as ever. He was in protective mode, she could tell. His eyes constantly scanning the room, but specifically avoiding the subject of his disdain.  
"Yeah, me and Cap...we like to be where the action is" Tony continued, giving her a wolffish grin and biting into a looked over to where Loki and Darcy were sitting, and nodded back at Loki when he turned to raise a hand in greeting.

"That's new." Tony said simply.  
"That...is for the best." Jean said, in a tone that brooked no further discussion. Steve unconsciously reached out to squeeze her arm, and she smiled shyly at the action. Steve gave her a look of understanding. He knew what it was like to be set apart. And no matter how much effort his new friends put into dragging him into this decade, his heart pulled him back into the past. He knew he would never really feel at home again, and he supposed she must feel the same, though for different reasons. She reached up and pressed her hand onto his, conveying with her touch her gratitude. Her hand on his felt warm like sunshine.

Loki was doing his best to appear as though he were concentrating on Darcy, when in fact he was trying to eavesdrop on the table next to his. He was surprised that the iron man and the soldier had showed up so quickly. Though he had no intention of running with her this morning, he was also annoyed that they seemed to be dressed to join her. When he saw the way that Jean had smiled at Rogers when he grasped her shoulder, it sent a surge of rage through him. How dare he touch her! And how dare she enjoy it! He suddenly became aware that Darcy had stopped talking.

"Sorry, could you repeat that my dear?"  
"I asked if you were done eating...I need to get to the lab."  
"Yes, I will walk with you. Can't be too careful" he added, earning him another flush of red on her cheeks and down her neck. He stood up and cleared their trays, tossing their trash in the bin. He opened the door for her with a flourish, and left without looking back.

Twenty minutes later, as Jean and her two babysitters were leaving the room, the building shuddered. Plates and chairs went crashing, tables buckled. Jean herself had to grasp the wall to keep from falling down. The lights went out at the same moment, leaving them in semi-darkness, as the world suddenly got very loud. The emergency light kicked in, with an eerie yellow glow and the sirens were deafening.

"What the hell was that!?", Tony choked out, as smoke rapidly filled the corridor.  
"Bomb...shit, there went another one. It's coming from downstairs, the lab..."  
"Darcy and Jane!" Jean cried out, as her feet made purchase at last, her heart racing.  
People were everyone, confused and frightful. They were being attacked, but so far she didn't spot an enemy. She disappeared down the hallway and down the nearest staircase, ignoring Tony''s call to wait.  
"Cap, get these people out of here! I'll get Jean and the girls..." And with that Tony followed Jean down the stairs.  
"Right, okay people, make your way over to the staircase and get outside! There's too much smoke, we have to get out of here!" Steve yelled as he pushed people along in the same direction toward the staircase door that Jean had opened. He waited until the rest of the people from the cafeteria had headed up the staircase before he bounded down after his friends.

He was met with a angry and disheveled Loki, coming out of the smoke, with Darcy over one shoulder and Jane under the protection of his other arm.  
"Move out of the way!"  
"Here, give her to me!" Steve said, reaching up to grab Darcy's unconscious body. Jane was sputtering and coughing.  
She was trying to tell them both something, and words weren't coming out. Loki pressed a hand onto her shoulder, attempting to calm her enough to spit it out.

"Jean...and Tony are down there...with them, those guys...they were looking for you Loki."  
"Who!?"  
"Guys dressed like commandos. They set off the bombs to get people to leave the building when Darcy and I refused to talk to them."  
Loki and Steve locked eyes and then Steve was suddenly staring at a wall as Loki made an about face and ran back down the stairs and into danger.  
"Dammit to hell, Loki! Jane, come on..lets get the two of you outside. I have to go back in."


	7. Chapter 7

Loki entered the lab without a shred of caution, his worry overtaking his sense of self-preservation. He had to duck to avoid a fisted hand coming towards his face. He struck low on his assailant, sharply to the abdomen, taking his breath away and dropping him to the floor. He wanted the drop his foot onto the man's neck to crush his windpipe, but felt a strong tendril of magic pulling at his foot, staying further violence. "This is most inconvenient..." He muttered, realizing that the Allfather hadn't taken his promises on faith. It seemed he was able to defend himself when attacked, but he physically could not go the extra step to actually kill anyone.

He heard a grunt to his right and saw as Jean struggled with two more masked attackers, one at either side of her. Tony was in the far corner of the lab, stuffing his perp headlong into the eyewash station.

Loki moved over to Jean to help her, but when he tried to conjure a ball of fire to shoot at the man in front of Jean, he felt that same magical rubber band snap back his hand.  
"Oh, this is too much! I am defending her!" Loki cried out, looking up to the sky, praying that the Allfather was listening.

Jean, in the meantime, had neutralized her two attackers by ducking at just the right moment, as they knocked each other out.

Tony ran over to Loki, angry..."what's the deal, where is your mojo when we need it?!"  
"He can't. His magic is on lockdown remember?" Jean yelled over the alarms.  
"She is quite correct. I can only defend my own person. And I cannot attack, even to defend someone else apparently." He replied, looking back and forth to them shamefaced.

"Well, we have to get you out of here Loki, they are here for you, and you can't help us."

When they finally got outside, they were not prepared for what awaited them. All of the base personnel were standing in a group, ringed by a dozen of the masked men. One of whom, held a gun to Darcy's head, while another had a tight grip on Jane. Steve Rogers lay unconscious on the ground, and Jean could hear and see the shuttering of helicopter blades against the din of the sirens.

"Hand the alien over and we will leave...", spoke the man who held the gun on Darcy.

Jean felt Loki start to step forward, and she shook her head.  
"No." She yelled loudly.  
"No? Okay, you obviously don't think I am serious..." He said, as he pressed the gun roughly into Darcy's temple, caucusing her to whimper and squirm.

"You are going to be okay Darcy.." Jean said calmly, trying to catch her eyes.  
"No you aren't Darcy...you are going to die, and then your friend Jane here is going to die...and so on and so forth until we get what we want."

Loki stepped forward then, out of Jean's reach.  
"I will go with you. Leave these people alone."  
She whispered, "No Loki..."  
He didn't look back at her but stopped and whispered urgently,  
"There are too many of them Jean...these people are scientists, not soldiers."  
She stared at his what she could see of his face, grim in that moment, ready to sacrifice himself and sighed so deeply that she felt like she had just emptied her lungs. She knew that they would kill them all anyway, once they had Loki. She closed her eyes for a millisecond, just long enough to take a roll call of their attackers. 10 men with big guns surrounding the group, one leader, 4 large choppers waiting, with 2 men each waiting inside. Steve was knocked out, Loki couldn't fight...it was just her and Tony...without his suit. It was too many. She made her decision before she even opened her eyes again, before her heart pulsed one more beat.

She stepped forward, snapping off the band on her left wrist. She stopped long enough to press it into Loki's hand, and whispered something in his ear. Her words surprised him, but it was her eyes that shocked him. They were glowing red, like fire. He could hear Tony running up behind them screaming, "No Jean!", and his mouth fell open in shock as she rose up off the ground with her hands splayed at her sides, and all hell broke loose. She was magnificent to see, her hair lit up with a fire that seemed to consume her, and yet at the same time wasn't burning her. Loki was absolutely horrified, and at the same time, he couldn't remember ever seeing anything so beautiful as the light that emanated from her. He realized that she was the light, amber in some places, and fiery red in others. The heat emanating from her was enough to make him take a hesitant step back, for fear that he himself would combust.

Jean stared straight ahead. She pointed her hand at the leader, and suddenly twisted it sharply, snapping his neck so quickly that he fell to the ground like rag doll, the gun discharging harmlessly into the dirt. In the next instant, almost a dozen more men hit the ground as her eyes moved over the group. One of the helicopters attempted to take off, but she motioned both her hands down, holding it in place with sheer will. She raised her right hand again to kill the pilot, but Tony finally snapped to action, finding his voice.  
"No, we need to question them! You can't kill them all!" He screamed, trying to pull at her feet, trying to anchor her somehow.

She simply quirked her lip, looking down at Tony.  
"We only need a few of them..." Her tone malicious and curt.  
"Jean, this isn't you...it's the Phoenix talking...this is murder."  
"Do you think any of them would have thought twice about killing everyone here! Don't presume to lecture me!" Her eyes were blazing now, annoyed at the rebuke.

Suddenly, movement from one of the other helicopters caught her eye but Tony tugged her harder. Annoyed, she relented.  
"Fine." She spat out, rolling her eyes at Tony. She mimicked the motion of crushing with her hands, and the blades of all the helicopters bent down, scraping the sides of the fuselage as they continued to try to spin. It made a horrible screeching noise of metal on metal, but it also served to cage the rest of the assailants as the blades damaged the doors of the choppers, finally coming to a halt, engines sputtering.

Jean slowly lowered herself to the ground and gave Tony a testy look.  
"There...happy?" She didn't wait for an answer as she strode over to Steve, bending down to attend to him. She placed her hand gently on his temple, waking him with the slightest brush of her energy, her face almost tender, her anger bottled back up.

He opened his eyes in confusion, clearing as he looked up into her fiery eyes.  
"Oh Jean, no..."  
She smiled sadly at him, but lightened her voice, "it's going to be okay Cap, I promise." She then offered him her hand, gingerly pulling him up to a standing position.

Tony and Loki approached cautiously, as the survivors quickly moved away muttering words of relief and thanks to Jean, who simply nodded in acknowledgement. Darcy leapt at Jean, throwing her arms around her and dissolving into tears.  
"Thank you...you...you saved our lives!"  
Jane stood quietly, finding the courage to ask a question of her savior.  
"Did you have to kill so many of them?"  
Jean's eyes flashed as she looked at her then, standing stock still, before answering simply, as though talking to a child.  
"No, I didn't have to. But, he had a gun to Darcy's head, he was threatening you...all of you. I did what had to be done. If you knew what they were planning to do, you wouldn't question me."  
"But..."  
Loki interrupted, "Jane, she did what was necessary to save the lives of all our co-workers...if she had hesitated, more people would be dead. You and Darcy included."  
Jean nodded her agreement without looking at Loki, and then walked away from the group, ignoring the looks of concern.  
Tony tried to stop her,"Hey, where are you going?"  
"To my room...I've had a hell of a day." She said without sparing them another glance. As she passed by Loki, he held out the band to her, unsure of what to say. Never had he felt at such a loss for words.

She stopped mere inches from him, reaching up to rub the bracelet between her fingers and felt him using his telepathy to try and delve into her thoughts. She smirked at his clumsy attempt, but decided to give him a peek into her mind, at what hid behind her eyes. He gasped at what he saw there in her memories...an ocean of water crushing her, confusion and destruction, he saw the embers of her soul, always burning, never dimming, never forgetting. He saw her standing on a pile of metal as the winds of her rage blew men to dust around her. He saw the tears fall down her face as she devoured the life force of the man she had loved from the time that they were children. He saw her madness, and felt her hunger. And just as suddenly, it stopped. He blinked again, and her eyes were once again green and clear, calm and serene.

"Oh, I don't think I will be needing my crutch anymore, my Prince, but thanks just the same." And she reached up and chucked him under the chin playfully, as though he were a dutiful child. He was completely flabbergasted. His heart beat thrummed loudly in his own ears as he watched her walk away.


	8. Chapter 8

A few hours later, Jean was rousted from her room and led down the long corridor of the building to a makeshift holding cell. The guards they sent were nervous as hell, asking her very politely to accompany them. She was already showered and changed...and wearing something completely inappropriate for an interrogation - a little black dress. She had let her hair dry naturally, giving it some curl. It bounced as she walked down the hallway with them, the pencil shaped dress hugging every curve and muscle it clung to, the neckline a wide u shape with thin straps, highlighting a generous amount of cleavage. And blood red lips.

She sat down gracefully, and then crossed one leg over the other. She let out a long sigh and quirked an eyebrow, knowing they were watching her through the two way glass, as if to say...get on with it.

When the door opened and the Wolverine stepped in, she practically purred," Logan...please do sit down..." And her eyebrows jumped again, as she indicated a seat next to her.

He regarded her warily, not bothering to ask how she knew he was there, but pulled out a chair and sat down across from her instead, a table between them.  
"Long time."  
"A very long time for me baby.." Jean said with a leer, "did you miss me?" She tugged at her bottom lip with her teeth, and smiled as the action drew his gaze to her mouth.  
"I miss Jean...my Jean."  
"Jean was never yours, you know...and I was never just Jean..." She said with some heat, and she suddenly rose up, walking around the table. Logan tried not to flinch as she approached him and proceeded to run the fingers of her right hand across the back of his shoulders almost casually as she rounded the table, pausing to rub her thumb up into his neck, before walking towards the wall that held the mirror. The response was immediate.

Moments later, the door opened again and Thor entered the room, with Loki trailing after him, much to Thor's annoyance. He tried to give Loki a dirty look, but Loki was staring at the back of Jean's head, completely focused on the most dangerous person in the room.

"Jean...we would all be more comfortable if you sat back down...", Thor began, and looked as if he wanted to say something more, when Loki interrupted, "and if you would keep your hands to yourself." He looked equally tense, his jaw rigid as he glared at Logan.

She turned around then to look at them, a wide smirk animating her face.  
"Okay, I can play nice and mind my manners..." She sat back down at her seat and indicated with her hands that they should do the same. Thor sat down in the only empty seat and Loki walked over and leaned against the wall across from her, arms folded in front of him and eyes grave.

She was smiling like a Cheshire Cat at the sight before her.  
"Two princes of Asgard and wolverine to attend me...what a lucky girl am I? So, do you guys plan to get rough with me..." She bit her lip and raised her eyebrows and looked at Thor and then Wolverine in turn. She had yet to raise her eyes to look at Loki, and he was fuming because of it.

Logan smiled at her then, sadly, his tone angry. "We both know one man was never enough for you".  
"Ooh, low blow Logan, even for you. Interesting tactic, bringing up Scott...are you going for guilt, or just trying to see if you can get me mad enough to start throwing fireballs again? Might be more useful for you to talk about Charles if you are trying to see if I am capable of regret, don't you think? Honestly, this hamfisted attempt to draw me out is almost insulting. The Professor would shake his head at you, if he still had his head to shake." She paused, a grim thin smile on her face. "I warn you, my tolerance of this crap is only going to last so long. So, am I batshit crazy or what...inquiring minds want to know..." She said, nodding at the two way glass again.

The Wolverine took his time in answering, he inhaled deeply several times, as though testing the air. Thor cleared his throat impatiently and said, "Well?"  
Logan sat contemplating her words, her demeanor, and her appearance. She was calm, though obviously annoyed. She looked at him steadily, waiting, a challenge in her eyes.

"She is different this time...she seems to be more in control of it. And another thing, she is definitely more Phoenix than the old Jean right now...personality wise" He said finally, fulfilling his main reason for being there.  
He nodded at her then, a gesture of respect and recognition, and sighed deeply. It was a sound of longing and Loki did not not let it pass.  
"What makes you an expert on her...condition, may I ask, since no one has seen fit to tell me anything of use..." He sneered at the back of Logan's head.

Logan's hackles rose at the tone of challenge and possessiveness in Loki's voice and he started to rise up out of his chair, his claws slowly extending. But a her warm hand on his stopped him. She spoke then to Loki, but looked into Logan's startled eyes.  
"Because he was the only one that got close enough to kill me last time." The look she gave him was tender for a moment, but in a flash it was gone, and her eyes grew cold as she abruptly withdrew her hand.

"But, that was a long time ago. I'm sorry they dragged you all the way out here for a twisted trip down memory lane...but I'm afraid one of my new rules is that any lovers of mine only get to kill me once. And frankly, after that...we are never getting back together"  
"I didn't come here to kill you Jean..."  
"Your "Jean" never existed you know..." She continued, her voice low, and laced with her rising anger. Loki could feel the tension in the room ratcheting up, the lights above suddenly very hot against his skin and he could almost feel the humidity in the room increase.  
"The woman you loved was a shell...a pet wearing a muzzle...that Jean was all the nice, polite, and acceptable parts of me...with all the rest stuffed deep down, caged. You call yourself an expert on me...you have never met the real me." And with that, she pushed her chair back from the table, crossing her arms in front of her chest, mirroring Loki's stance unconsciously. "Now, is that all? Is it pass/fail or what?"

"For now...we will be back", Thor stated tiredly. The three men made for the door at the same time, eager to continue their discussion outside of this room.  
"Hey Logan?"  
"Yes..." He said, not daring to look at her, stopping in his tracks.  
"I think this is goodbye...the woman you came looking for...she's gone. She was weak, and she had to die so that I could be born. And I'm not sorry for your loss..."  
His shoulders slumped, almost imperceptibly, and he turned his head to look her in the eye, searching. "No...she's right here in this room. But like you said, she was never mine". Logan an Thor left the room quietly, but Loki hesitated.

Loki stepped closer and stood next to Jean, looking down at her. She refused to meet his eyes, but told him quietly, almost too lightly to hear. "They are going to try to kill me, regardless of what you all decide." He was stunned for a moment, as the realization that there were no private or secret conversations that she would not be privy to, if she wished. He nodded his head and walked out of the room.

Loki finally joined the assemblage, all talking about Jean, some of them in the room, some connected through the video screen. A woman with skin like honey and stark white hair was shaking her head at Logan over the video link. "Can we really take the chance? We are responsible!" Logan was furious, "...you have never forgiven her for the Professor, despite what you say to her face. I am telling you, she is different this time. There is no need for all this panic. She is our friend, or have you forgotten?!"

Tony piped in, "Yeah, but the question is..is she stable? She was pretty cold hearted out there." Steve countered, shaking his head, "...but she was defending all of us..."

"And what happens if one of us makes her mad? Tell me that! You better hope that she can contain herself, because we sure as hell can't contain her!" Natasha demanded, jumping into the fray.

"Everyone calm down. We don't have to make a decision tonight. For now, let her go back to her room, confined to quarters". Nick Fury said suddenly from another screen, his tone long suffering.

As soon as he said it, Jean smiled and stood up in the interrogation room, making her way the door, much to everyone's surprise. She slinked through the room with a smirk on her face, like a fox in a hen house. Everyone had stopped speaking while she passed. Loki smiled then, in spite of his frustration, at her cheek. She was well aware that her fate was being discussed in this room, and she could not have cared less for their judgement.

The room started to clear, but Loki was waiting to talk to Thor about what she had whispered to him in the interrogation room when Logan stopped on his way out the door, and nodded sharply at him. "Do me a favor. Take care of her."  
Annoyed at his presumption, Loki tersely started, "what makes you think..."  
"Don't bother buddy..." Logan interrupted, and left the room without further argument, but not without casting Loki a look of sympathy, leaving Loki bristling.


	9. Chapter 9

Loki couldn't sleep. He paced his room, with his hands gripped at his sides, his anxiety building, though he couldn't quite pinpoint its source. He walked to his door just as someone on the other side knocked loudly.

"Loki!" Thor yelled as he knocked.  
"What is it?" Loki swung open the door to find Thor dressed in street clothes.  
"Jean is not in her room. She left a note..", his face grim as he handed it to Loki. It said, Gone Dancing...

"I'll get dressed."

Once he was dressed they hurried out to the waiting car, where Steve and Tony were waiting with Jane. Tony was trying to calm everyone..."We go in soft...real casual, as if we are just there to join them."  
"Them?" Loki asked.

Jane glanced at Thor sheepishly before turning to Loki. "Yeah, Darcy mentioned something about going dancing but I wasn't paying attention. We are assuming that they are together."  
"Where?"  
"That bar we go to sometimes downtown, they have a dj on the weekends...dance 's our best bet." Loki noticed that Jane was wearing a skirt and a sheer sleeveless top. Thor noticed his gaze and his hand went protectively around her shoulder. He smirked at his brother. "If you are so worried that men will look at her, why don't you have her wear something a little more discreet."  
"Hey! There is nothing indiscreet about my outfit! This is what you wear to a club." Jane huffed, and then an evil little smile took over her face.  
"Just wait until you see what the girls are probably wearing."  
Loki glared at her, but stopped his teasing. He suddenly became very interested in the scenery outside the car. Thor couldn't help but smirk at Jane.

When they pulled up, there was a line outside of the bar. He didn't bother to wait for the others, making his way to the door and straight past the line.  
"Whoa buddy, there's a line here..."  
"Not for me...nor any of my friends" Loki said, slipping money into the bouncer's hand as the rest of the group caught up to him. He could hear the loud pulse of music thrumming from the building, the flashing lights cutting through the otherwise darkened club. He then walked right past the man, amid some disgruntled protests from the people in line. Jane couldn't help saying a quick, "Sorry!" as they went in.

The club was filled with people, music and motion. It was a confusing blur. Loki soon realized that Jane was in fact dressed very discreetly compared to how the other women around him were dressed. Suddenly, a glint of metal distracted his gaze to the far corner of the dance floor. He saw her and stilled. She was wearing a dark silvery top that was shaped like an inverted triangle, the sides of her torso exposed. It wrapped up over her neck in a halter strap, and clung to her body with the thinest of straps behind her back. He back was almost completely black pants that she was wearing were skin tight through the hips, flaring out below her, knees. Her hair was pulled back at the top, but then came over her shoulders in the form of two long braids. Every movement of her body seemed to draw him in.

Jane looked around at the men in her group with growing alarm. They seemed to be in some sort of haze, even Thor. She snapped her fingers in front of his face, and he didn't even blink. He gaze was intent on the back of the room. She looked past Loki to the corner of the room and her jaw dropped. There was Jean and Darcy, surrounded by a harem of men, all dancing to the pulsing music. The girls were soaking up the attention being paid to them. Darcy, for her part, was stuffed into a short red dress with her hair loose and curly. Jean was dancing very closely to a tall, dark haired man in a button down shirt and slacks, while Darcy had a ring of men all vying for her attention. All the men had the same dazed look on their faces. Jean suddenly noticed that they were no longer alone. She caught Jane's eye and smiled a toothy smile as she threw her head back and twirled around.

"Thor...Thor! Wake up!" Jane decided to try a different tack.  
"Hey Steve, there she is..."  
"Yes, there she is...she smells like apples..."  
"No no no, snap out of it!" Jane tugged at his arm, but he kept walking straight through the room towards Darcy and Jean.  
"Really?!" She exclaimed. Then she had a idea. She walked over to Loki and whispered in his ear. He merely nodded distractedly and kept staring at Jean like she was a porterhouse steak. Left with no other option, Jane promptly grabbed the drink of the person nearest to her and splashed it in his face.

Loki's face and hair was suddenly drenched in alcohol and he reared back, grabbing Jane's wrist.

"What the hell was that for!?"  
"I had to wake you up somehow...she's got some sort of spell over the men in this club."  
He scoffed at Jane. "That may be, but I am not under any spell, you foolish girl."  
"Well, you couldn't keep your eyes off her!"

He wiped his face and smoothed his hair before turning and looking at Jean. Sure enough, he felt a compulsion emanating from her like a warm wave. Embarrassed by the possibility that he himself had been vulnerable enough to get caught up, he grimaced. "Jane, go wake up the rest of our group and get Darcy out of here. If Jean won't come quietly, I'm going to need their assistance."

Loki approached Jean slowly, with his hands out at his sides in a placating gesture. She eyed him with amusement, noticing the clarity of his gaze.

She shrugged at the disgusted looks he gave the men dancing around her. He looked particularly displeased with the man behind her, a hairs breath from touching her. Her mouth quirked up and she suddenly dipped her body by bending her knees, ever so slightly pressing against the man behind her, as she continued to sway to the beat.

Loki almost closed his eyes for a moment to contain his temper, but refrained, knowing that she was taunting him on purpose, trying to get a reaction. She then snaked an arm backwards to pull the man closer to her, winding it behind his neck and into his hair. The poor sod was eating it up, and went to circle her hips with his hands. And suddenly felt his arm gripped, painfully, as Loki stopped the descent of his hand. The young man backed off immediately at the look on Loki's face, as Jean turned and gave him a little wave and a shrug, dismissing him before Loki could harm him. Loki could see that the team had all moved in a circle around them, as far in as was possible considering that most of the men in the club had migrated into a tight circle around the girls.

"That's quite enough of that I think...don't you Jean?"  
"I was just having a bit of fun..." Jean said, practically pouting. Loki fought to keep his face blank, but the corner of his mouth nearly quirked up in a smile.  
"Stop the compulsion Jean, it's beneath you. You hardly need any help attracting men."  
"Oh, but the compulsion wasn't for me..it was for Darcy. But I suppose it's not very nice in any case..." She then shut her eyes, breathing in deeply in concentration. Suddenly, the man that had been dancing with Darcy stopped in his tracks and shook his head. He looked down at her, a bit confused, but then continued dancing with her, giving her a uneasy smile. The large group of men that had formed around them suddenly thinned out as they wandered away, leaving their small group in the corner of the club.

Loki was more confused than ever. He looked over at Jane, who smiled knowingly. "Hmm, guess you were right Loki...you weren't under THAT spell, my mistake." Loki scoffed at her. Thor gave her a strange look and started to question her. He was met with a elbow in the ribs, "I'll explain later Romeo..." Thor didn't know what was going on but he seemed to know that he was in trouble.

Loki kept his eyes trained on Jean, trying to determine the best way to get her to leave without making a mess.

"Oh, I have no intention of causing a fuss...I just wanted a drink and a dance, maybe a kiss..." She said softly, reading him and looking up into his dark eyes, her eyelashes fluttering as she smiled. "Not many can snatch my thoughts right out of my head. Perhaps all this awful noise has me too distracted." He said coldly, ignoring her subtle come-on.

Steve and Tony finally decided they had enough and pushed up closer to them.  
Tony held out a hand to her, "Well, I think we should probably call it a night, don't you agree?" "Sure thing Tony...come on Darcy, our ride is here." Jean said as she tapped Darcy on the shoulder, her eyes never leaving Loki's. She then accepted Tony's hand and slid past Loki's body without a backward glance. He stood staring at nothing for a moment and then his eyes caught sight of the man who Jean had been dancing with glaring at him from the corner of the room as he talked to his friends.

Loki felt a hand press on his shoulder and turned to see Steve giving him a look of appraisal, quirking his eyebrows up. "Not worth it." Steve said very softly. And Loki gave him a smile full of mirth, a bit chagrined by his own childish impulse to throw the man into a wall for the crime of having danced so intimately with Jean. "Indeed."

Loki was quietly steaming in the passenger seat of the SUV, as everyone else chatted away as if everything was normal. As though they were returning from a casual night out on the town. Jean hadn't said another word to him since they left the club, and had not even looked at him when he held the door open to let her into the truck. Steve pulled the truck up to the gate house and caught Loki's eye, concerned. He shook his head at Loki, as if to say, please let it go.

But Loki couldn't let it go. For all of the smug and presumptuous looks from Tony and Thor, and the teasing from Jane...he knew they were right. He was angry at them, but he was furious with himself. He was acting differently around Jean, and compulsion or not, he was drawn to her. He craved her, and it was only getting worse. He felt a thick streak of true jealousy course through him when she was speaking to the wolverine in the interrogation room. His stomach had turned when she had referred to Logan as her former lover. And then, in the club, that man had touched Jean and it was his pride alone that stopped him from pummeling the man into the sticky floor. That and the Allfather's magical muzzle.

He looked at her in the rear view mirror, barely able to discern the curve of her neck and the flash of her cleavage in the shadows being thrown by the ambient light. He had to have her. And then suddenly, something akin to a bell rung in his head. That was it...he would have her! He would satiate himself in her flesh and then he would be done with this torture, this maddening temptation. He would feel her writhe underneath his touch and make her beg him for pleasure, and then when he was done with her, he would be able to walk away from her at last. He turned around in his seat to face her then, his smile feral. If he had been thinking clearly, he would have noticed that she was looking right back at him with the same smile on her face.


End file.
